There's nothing car guys like more than viewing vehicular carnage--except possibly to see the carnage restored to like-new condition. Want proof? Read Poncho Post from the last few issues. Everyone wants to see Before and After pictures of the pristine Pontiacs that grace the pages of this magazine. The comments are very much alike; they all want to see how far the Pontiac has come back from the dead.
Well, we aim to please and since we happen to have an in-house project Pontiac that just went through two years worth of bodywork, we have a perfect candidate for Before and After photos. So for all those who have faithfully followed the Poncho Body Basics series, the moment of truth has arrived. No, it's not completely finished; some trim parts still need to be installed and final polishing performed before we apply the graphics. But our T/A is painted, wet sanded and buffed. At the hands of the technicians at Melvin Benzaquen's Classic Restorations, our 1977 Trans Am is in the final stretch, at least as far as the body is concerned, and it is stunning.
In Part XII, we covered all the specifics of the paintwork when the basecoat was applied. In this second to last installment of the series, we'll of course discuss the clearcoat application but, more importantly, we'll show you just how far this T/A has come over the last couple of years in Before and After photos. Follow along as we showcase the quality work of Classic Restorations and the many parts and supplies provided by Year One, 3M and PPG. Auto Body Specialties also contributed sheetmetal to the project and Totally Stainless a front end bolt kit.
What we have here is a win/win situation. The multitude of readers who supported the series get to see the result and the readers who aren't fans of bodywork can rejoice in the knowledge that the series is near completion. Happy viewing.
Poncho Body Basics Series Index
| Installment | Subject | Issue Date |
| Part I | Install A Quarter Skin | Jun-99 |
| Part II | Install A Full Quarter Panel | Aug-99 |
| Bonus | Patch A Rear Quarter | Aug-99 |
| Part III | Trunk Floor And Frame Rail Replacement | Oct-99 |
| Part IV | Replacing A Rocker Panel | Dec-99 |
| Part V | Floorpan Replacement | Feb-00 |
| Part VI | A/C To Non-A/C Conversion | Apr-00 |
| Part VII | Door Skin Replacement | Jun-00 |
| Part VIII | Sub-Frame Cage Nut Repair | Aug-00 |
| Part IX | Hang A Door, Hinge Tech | Oct-00 |
| Part X | Fender Patch Installation | Dec-00 |
| Part XI | Reskinning An A-Pillar | Feb-01 |
| Part XII | Base Coat Application | Apr-01 |
| Part XIII | Second-Gen. T/A Spoiler Tech | Jun-01 |
| Part XIV | Assembling For Final Paint | Aug-01 |
| Part XV | A Two Year Body Resto In 4 Pages | Dec-01 |
Here is our 1977 T/A circa...
Here is our 1977 T/A circa 1994, racing at Englishtown. Note the broken spoiler and the way up in the air stance. It was daily driven at the time. You'd never know how much rust lurked beneath its white paint.
Here is our T/A just a few...
Here is our T/A just a few days after arrival at Classic. Many body parts have been removed and chemical stripper was used on the body panels so that the Bondo and rust could be revealed. Remember, aircraft stripper does not like soft bumpers or other plastic parts. Note that they and the spoilers were removed first.
Not long after, we see the...
Not long after, we see the lengths that Classic Restorations went to restore the body of the T/A. Complete tear down ensures a first class finish and is essential when a color change is involved.
Quarter skin replacement isn't...
Quarter skin replacement isn't for beginners but it's a lower cost and easier alternative to a full quarter replacement as long as the rust isn't too terrible.
The Year One replacement panel...
The Year One replacement panel fit well and needed only routine body work for a first class installation. The key to limiting additional bodywork is to avoid warping the panel during the welding process. This is done by placing a series of spot welds along the joint, 1 inch apart, which allows the heat to dissipate. The process is repeated until a continuous bead is formed. This method was used on all of the sheetmetal that was replaced on the T/A.
Trunk rust is common due to...
Trunk rust is common due to rear window and trunk seal leaks. Of course ours was bad enough to require replacement of the rear frame rail. Year One supplied the trunk floor and the rail, the latter of which was sectioned into healthy metal on the existing rail.
The one-piece trunk pan as...
The one-piece trunk pan as provided by Year One requires the removal of the gas tank and it installs from the bottom of the T/A. Here is the finished installation of the trunk pan and the frame rail section.
Door skin rust is very common...
Door skin rust is very common in second Gen. F-bodies as well. Usually blocked drain holes that hold the water in are the culprit not to mention the worn window seals that allow the water in. The outer skin is wrapped around an inner structure and the edges are welded at the factory. A grinding disc can easily cut through the wrapped edge to separate the inner and outer door.
Replacement door skin quality...
Replacement door skin quality was high and here is the finished product installed.
Rocker panel rust was very...
Rocker panel rust was very bad on the passenger's side as it is common for F-body rockers to rust from the inside out and ours was no exception. Though we found a replacement outer rocker at Auto Body Specialties, the inner rocker was recreated by hand.
From the outside, you'd be...
From the outside, you'd be hard pressed to detect that the panel had been replaced or that the inner rocker and the backside of the outer were slathered in POR-15 to ensure that it does not rust from the inside again. Visible is some residue from the polishing process.
Floor pan rust was prominent...
Floor pan rust was prominent as well. This usually starts with a windshield or a side window leak. Combine that with carpeting and sound deadener, which holds water in and it's no surprise that the floor soon rusts through.
Year One replacement pans...
Year One replacement pans cured the problem, with custom patches welded in at rust areas that reached beyond the pans.
Poor drainage leads to lower...
Poor drainage leads to lower fender heel rust.
We decided to patch rather...
We decided to patch rather than replace the fender. The outer patch came from Auto Body Specialties and the inner brace however is available from Ames Performance Engineering, if needed.
If done right, the completed...
If done right, the completed patch will be undetectable. Again, some residue from the polishing process may be visible.
Twenty-seven photos of the...
Twenty-seven photos of the bumpers being installed would probably get boring, so here is diagram to show you how it all goes together.
Ditto for the rear.
With proper massaging of the...
With proper massaging of the holes in the fender and tweaking the lower front fender sheetmetal, the spats can be installed with limited gaps where the trim meets the fender. It takes patience, however.
Some creativity with the stud...
Some creativity with the stud holes in the deck lid and quarter panels ensured that the three-piece rear spoiler lines up very nicely.
The finishing touch is the...
The finishing touch is the replacement emblem and grilles from Year One. The bumpers are painted with the same Deltron DBU in Carousel Red as the body. DX 814 Universal Flexiblizer is added so the paint doesn't crack on the flexible surface. Even the PPG DCC Concept 2042 clear gets DX 814 mixed in for the same reason.
As you know from the April...
As you know from the April 2001 issue, PPG Deltron DBU in Carousel Red was applied to the body over DP 40LF Epoxy primer. A total of four coats of color were sprayed with a 12-minute flash time between each. After wet sanding, five coats of PPG DCC Concept 2042 clear (with DCX 61 High Solids hardener added for a more durable finish) are applied with a 20-minute flash time between each. The paint is then left to harden overnight. The next day the body is wet sanded with 1500 grit paper and then 2000 grit followed by a machine polish with compound. The T/A is then machine polished with Finessing It from 3M and finally a hand glaze will be applied. We're seeing the T/A just after the Finessing It machine polish.